1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to processes for constructing storage batteries.
2. Description of the Related Art
Current construction methods of storage batteries involve using fixtures and human labor to build a battery from its component parts. U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,342 issued to Wheadon shows battery plates transferred from a shingling conveyor where the plates had been stacked together in shingle-like fashion, and then scooped up into groups by an operator and hand-stacked onto a pallet. These types of production are disadvantageous for several reasons. One of the problems is that they are inefficient because of the amount of labor involved to correctly put components together to create the final battery. In the context of producing a Lithium polymer (LiPo) battery, a plurality of bicells are stacked by hand in a fixture and welded to each other, and to positive and negative terminals. Another problem involves alignment. If the bicells are not aligned with each other and to the terminal, the final product may be compromised. Yet another problem is that these methods are costly because of the time involved, the labor involved, and the inaccuracies that result in reduced quality.
There is therefore a need for an improved process of building batteries that minimize or eliminate one or more of the problems set forth above.